As we had said before, more and more companies are using phone interviews, as well as skype interviews, as an easier way to narrow down potential employees. Skype interviews are a little more personal than phone interviews, since you are finally putting a name to a face. Even though Skype may seem more relaxed on paper, in practice, the same rules apply as in any face-to-face interview.

Below are some tips on how to get ready for a Skype interview:

Dress up. Dressing up will build your confidence and make you ready to speak professionally. It will also give a great first impression.

Pick a clean backdrop. This would include choosing a private room with no distractions, mentioned in our blog- How to Prepare for a Phone Interview Distractions could include crying babies, barking dogs, etc. It could also be any political, religious, or inappropriate swag/posters in your room that the interviewee might find distracting. Set up your room/work space as professional as possible. In addition, you should avoid sitting in front of a window- the lighting will cause you to appear as a shadowy figure.

Test your devices. Make sure there are no problems with logging into Skype or Facetime, in order to avoid any technical glitches. It is very important that you remember to charge your laptop or tablet the night before and keep the charger plugged in for the duration, just to be on the safe side.

Pay attention to your body language. You can express that you are engaged by leaning forward while communicating, nodding while the hiring manager is speaking, and occasionally smiling. While you are Skyping, make sure to put your image on the top right corner of your screen, next to your camera. You do this so that in case you are looking at your icon, you will be close to looking at the camera. Eye contact with the interviewee is important, and this trick will help you do that!

Practice with a friend. Your friend can tell you if you are being too soft, too loud, or to take longer pauses. Just like in our blog that I had mentioned prior, rehearsing basic interview questions, and in this case through your laptops, will make you sound confident and convince the hiring manager that you belong at their company.

More and more companies are starting to use Skype interviews, so be one step ahead and be ready for this type of interview!